Mock Tuna Salad

 

 

This is the first cookbook I've bought in years.

I had given away all of the ones I had,

as we tend to eat the same things most of the time.

Rarely did I venture out of my comfort zone with regard to eating.

This cookbook is chocked full of wonderful vegan  meals,

which has nudged me to try a few new things.

 

I've been a non-meat eater for decades.

I never liked meat as a kid,

so by the time I got to be a teenager, I swore off the stuff.

I have gone back and forth with regard to fish though.

But sometime last year, I just didn't want it anymore either,

with the exception of tuna.

 

 

The only fish I eat on a regular basis anymore is tuna.

It's one of my favorite sandwiches, or spreads for crackers or celery.

I buy the wild catch albacore tuna and eat that a couple of days a week for lunch.

chickpea chopper

 

This recipe from the cookbook had been on my "I gotta try this" list for a while.

If I ever decided to ditch the tuna, I wanted an alternative.

This recipe didn't disappoint.

With the addition of some pickled okra, it hit the spot.

The balance of the tart, spicy okra and the mild, sweet onion was fabulous.

As usual, I tweaked the ingredients to my liking,

and it turned out just fine.

I couldn't find her original recipe,

but you can find a similar version here.

It almost looks like tuna fish salad, doesn't it?

I'm not sure that it tastes just the same,

but it's doggone good!

It's great to have another option for lunch

and this recipe gave me a solid three or four servings.

If you give it a go, let me know how you like it.

 

Vegan "No Tuna" Salad

(Minimalist Baker)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained/rinsed

3 T mayo

1 t Dijon mustard

splash of fresh lemon juice

1/4 C diced onion

1/4 C diced celery

1/4 C diced pickles (I used okra)

healthy pinch of salt/pepper

 

Add chickpeas to medium bowl

and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add mayo, mustard, veg and spices and mix to combine.

Enjoy!

 

Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins

I've been enjoying recipes from Minimalist Baker for a while now.

The love was so great that I even bought her cookbook.

Dana's recipes are often gluten-free and very allergy friendly.

Uncomplicated and quick to put together,

they speak my language.

Here's my version of her 1-bowl zucchini nut muffins.

These are gluten, dairy and processed sugar free,

but you'd never know it from the taste.

You can find the original recipe on page 51 of her cookbook

Everyday Cooking.

These can be kept vegan by replacing the egg

with a flax egg

(1 Tablespoon flax seed meal to

2 1/2 Tablespoons water).

 

These are dense, moist and oh-so delicious.

They are a great addition to the breakfast table,

and handy enough to take on the go.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins

1 egg (or 1 flax egg)

1 C grated zucchini

(squeeze out liquid in a tea towel)

1 banana, mashed

1/4 C coconut oil

1/4 C maple syrup

1 apple, grated

1/2 C coconut sugar

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 C unsweetened almond milk

2/3 C rolled oats

1/2 C almond meal

1 C plus 2 Tablespoons gf flour mix

1/2 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place paper liners in muffin tin.

Into a bowl or mixer, add first seven ingredients.

Mix until well combined.

Add remaining ingredients, 

wiping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill muffin tins all the way to the top.

Bake 30 minutes until deep golden brown.

Let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

 

Oatmeal Pancakes (gf,df,ef,sf)

 

These pancakes were enjoyed this past weekend

and I have to say that they are keepers!

The fixin's are all real ingredients,

and they couldn't be more allergy-friendly.

I added an egg, but that is totally optional,

if you're keen on keeping them vegan.

These pancakes lend themselves well to

adding in all sorts of extras.

Try:

blueberries

chocolate chips

cinnamon

nuts

 toasted coconut flakes

or whatever floats your boat!

 

The texture of these fantastic flapjacks is so different

than any other I've ever made, in a good way.

I think I'm just diggin' all things oatmeal lately.

Grateful to Dana at Minimalist Baker

for coming up with another winner.

No doubt my freezer will be amply supplied with these

so that I can enjoy them at a moment's notice.

 

 

 

Oatmeal Pancakes

(Minimalist Baker)

 

1 medium banana

1 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil

   1 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 C milk (plant-based or dairy)

1 egg (optional)

3/4 C oat flour

3/4 C gluten-free flour

1/4 C almond flour

 

Mash bananas in bowl.

Add wet and then dry ingredients, and mix well.

Drop onto cast iron skillet or griddle

(I use a 1/3 C measuring cup)

and cook on one side until bubbles form.

Flip pancakes and cook on remaining side 1 minute.

Makes 20 small pancakes.

Enjoy!

 

All Day Bread

 Why do I call this "all day bread"?

It really should be called,

"bread that fits itself into your day so well

that you'll just want to make it all the time".

But that seemed a bit much.

 The truth is, this bread is easy to incorporate into your daily schedule.

Whether you work at home, from home, or outside of the home,

it lends itself well to a myriad of situations.

With the mixing, the resting, the mixing and the resting,

it flowed so well into my routine 

that it was a breeze to prepare.

And this lil' number didn't hurt.

After years of talking about getting a Kitchen Aid mixer

like my momma used to have,

we were gifted one from a sweet and generous friend.

She had two and was kind enough to give us her extra.

Making bread used to be a labor of love for me,

but I found that the kneading was becoming just too much.

This workhorse brings back the joy of bread making.

Easy Whole Grain Bread

(Minimalist Baker)

1 1/2 C warm water

3/4 T yeast

2 T honey/maple syrup

1/2 T salt

1 T flaxseed meal

2 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 3/4 C unbleached all purpose flour

2 T sunflower seeds

2 T oats

Combine water, yeast, honey, salt, 

flaxmeal and flour in mixing bowl and stir.

Beat for 1 minute, and add additional flour

until dough is no longer sticky.

Lift dough out and grease bowl.

Cover and let rise 2 hours at room temperature,

then 2 hours in refrigerator.

Create a hole in center of dough

and add seeds and oats.

Knead in to incorporate.

Place seam-side down in greased loaf pan,

cover and let rest 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place

a bowl or skillet of water on the rack below the bread.

Bake 26-35 minutes.

Let cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

Not Chicken Noodle Soup-(gf,df,sf,ef)

The beginning of the year has been a challenge,
with a severe cold (sinusitis?) hitting me hard.
Down for over a week,
the best thing I could do was rest, eat right and rest some more.

This is one of the newest soup recipes in my repertoire.

It's hearty, comforting and really hits the spot

whether or not you are feeling your best.

It's a snap to put together and will keep in the fridge for a good week,

if it lasts that long.

It reminds me of pot pie, but it has the addition of pasta.

The bonus is that it can be made gluten-free 

by subbing out gf flour and gf pasta for those listed

in the original recipe.

I also omitted a couple of the herbs,

as I didn't have them on hand.

If you're under the weather,

it'll make you feel a whole lot better.

Creamy Vegetable Noodle Soup

(MyQuietKitchen.com)

2 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled/diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 T parsley

1 t dried basil

1 t dried thyme

1/2 t dried dill

1 1/4 t salt

1/4 C flour

2 C unsweetened almond milk

4 C vegetable broth

2 T nutritional yeast

1 C pasta 

Saute veggies in olive oil 3-5 minutes.

Add herbs and flour and stir.

Add 1/2 C milk and whisk until flour is incorporated.

Add remaining milk, broth and nutritional yeast and stir.

Bring to the boil, add pasta, 

then reduce to medium-low and simmer 10-15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!